Rahman Ravelli advises on complex, high stakes disputes and arbitrations that arise from the financing and operation of data centres.
As global demand for this critical infrastructure accelerates, so too does the complexity of financing, constructing, and operating these assets. Power constraints, evolving regulation, supply chain pressure and performance requirements are creating a new generation of disputes that are often cross-border, multi-party, and business-critical.
We are instructed when these projects come under pressure, whether through litigation, arbitration or a combination of both, due to delay, under-performance or commercial breakdown.
Our approach is disputes-led and enforcement focused. We advise across the full lifecycle of data centre projects, often coordinating parallel proceedings across multiple jurisdictions to protect value and secure outcomes.
We act in disputes and arbitrations across the key pressure points in data centre projects:
Reliable and scalable power is fundamental to data centre operations.
We act in disputes and arbitrations involving power purchase agreements, grid connection delays, capacity allocation, outages, and pricing mechanisms. These disputes frequently involve cross-border contractual frameworks and regulatory considerations.
Our team understands the contractual frameworks and the technical dependencies involved, allowing us to resolve issues efficiently and minimise operational disruption.
Data centres are subject to evolving regulatory frameworks, including energy usage, data sovereignty, and infrastructure security requirements. Obtaining permits can be an opaque procedure in emerging markets, which can increase the risk of bribery and corruption.
We advise on disputes arising from regulatory investigations, enforcement actions, licensing issues, and compliance failures, helping clients manage risk and respond effectively to authorities. One of our areas of specialism is defending parties accused of bribery and corruption. We help clients manage the investigation minimise the risk of heavy sanctions and negative publicity.
The construction and operation of data centres depend on a highly-specialised global supply chain, including advanced hardware, cooling systems, and construction services.
We act in disputes involving procurement, delays, defective equipment, performance failures, and contractual breakdowns across suppliers and contractors.
Sustainability concerns are reshaping the sector, with increased scrutiny on energy consumption, water usage, and carbon emissions.
We act in disputes linked to environmental obligations, planning challenges, ESG commitments, and community opposition, helping clients balance growth with environmental responsibility.
Many data centre projects are governed by cross-border contractual frameworks, making arbitration the preferred forum for resolving high-value disputes.
We act in international arbitration under major institutional rules, including disputes arising from:
Our approach integrates arbitration strategy with litigation tools where necessary, including interim relief, asset preservation, and enforcement across jurisdictions.
We focus not only on securing awards, but on ensuring that outcomes are commercially effective and enforceable.
We represent commercial parties and investors in data centre disputes.
We act for institutional investors, private equity, and lenders involved in disputes related to financing of data centre developments. We help protect investment value in disputes relating to project delays, underperformance, joint ventures, and financing arrangements.
Disputes between foreign investors and host states lead to investor state arbitration. For example, the host state may change its policy on subsidies and incentives that could affect the value of the investment. We act for investors seeking restitution through investor-state arbitration.
For developers, we handle disputes arising during site acquisition, planning, construction, and project delivery. Our focus is on resolving issues quickly to keep projects on track and safeguard commercial outcomes.
We support operators facing disputes in the day-to-day running of data centres, including service level agreements, customer contracts, outages, and infrastructure failures. Our advice is commercially focused and aligned with maintaining business continuity.
We act for technology providers, contractors, and service suppliers involved in the data centre ecosystem. We assist with disputes over contractual obligations, performance issues, and liability exposure in complex, multi-party arrangements.
Data centres were designated as critical national infrastructure in 2024 by the UK government. That means that they are regarded as essential services, in the same way as water, energy and emergency services systems.
This means that the development of data centres is accelerating in the UK, and the regulatory landscape is adapting to keep up.
Some of the key trends in this sector include:
Power availability is becoming a critical bottleneck, leading to increased disputes over grid access, energy pricing, and long-term supply arrangements.
The UK government is introducing more stringent rules around energy efficiency, data protection, and national security, increasing the likelihood of regulatory disputes.
Global demand for specialised equipment continues to outpace supply, driving delays, cost overruns, and contractual tensions.
Environmental considerations are now central to project viability, with disputes increasingly arising from sustainability commitments and stakeholder expectations.
As data centres grow in size and sophistication, disputes are becoming more complex, often involving multiple jurisdictions, technical experts, and interconnected contracts.
